


Reaching For The Sky

by PurpleRose328



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action, Adventure, Dark, Drama, F/M, Family, Friendship, Romance, slight angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2018-09-06 08:31:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8742556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleRose328/pseuds/PurpleRose328
Summary: Sharisu Hirawa was still very young when she planned out her entire life -- be the Chosen One in the Hirawa Clan, win the Ishikage Successor Exams, train very hard, be one of the best genjutsu users in the world, and most of all, be the next Ishikage of Soragakure. But everything crumbled into ruins when the Sky Mansion was ambushed and the once peaceful Hidden Village in the Sky fell. As their last hope, she was forced to escape with the will of saving her home once she grows up. Kakashi Hatake was a child prodigy and aimed to be the best. He was famous and loved by everyone. But no one knows the pain nor the pressure he carried in his heart. Brought together by unfortunate circumstances, the two very different and yet strangely similar people will obtain their goals and find love in the midst of ceaseless wars.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Notes: 
> 
> Hi everyone! Thank you for having an interest in this story of mine. :) 
> 
>  
> 
> **I have a few warnings to you dear reader.**
> 
>  
> 
> First, there will be a lot of OCs. This was set before Naruto was even alive so older canon characters may appear. The timeline of this story ranges from a five-year-old Kakashi up to the time he was forty. So expect a lot of original or familiar scenes along the way. 
> 
> Second, there are a lot of made up information as well. Since Kakashi's whole life wasn't described perfectly as Naruto's I need to make a lot of assumptions along the way. 
> 
> Third, I created another hidden village and a NEW chakra element called Will. You'll learn more about it as the story progressed. 
> 
> That's all I could think of right now. If you have any questions or clarifications, feel free to ask. :) It took a lot of time for me to conceptualize and write this story that's why I hope you'll have a great time reading it. 
> 
> This is PurpleRose328, signing out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> Hi everyone! Thank you for having an interest in this story of mine. :)
> 
> **I have a few warnings to you dear reader.**
> 
> First, there will be a lot of OCs. This was set before Naruto was even alive so older canon characters may appear. The timeline of this story ranges from a five-year-old Kakashi up to the time he was forty. So expect a lot of original or familiar scenes along the way.
> 
> Second, there are a lot of made up information as well. Since Kakashi's whole life wasn't described perfectly as Naruto's I need to make a lot of assumptions along the way.
> 
> Third, I created another hidden village and a NEW chakra element called Will. You'll learn more about it as the story progressed.
> 
> That's all I could think of right now. If you have any questions or clarifications, feel free to ask. :) It took a lot of time for me to conceptualize and write this story that's why I hope you'll have a great time reading it.
> 
> This is PurpleRose328, signing out!

** Prologue  **

It was the dead of the night. The half-moon and stars were shining brightly in the dark sky. Their clear white rays glimmering on the beautiful and peaceful Hidden Village in the Sky. The cold air breeze blew and very distant howls of dogs could be heard. It was a relaxing silence. 

But it didn’t last long. 

Sounds of almost silent running were heard and as they passed by, the trees ruffled and the bushes danced. A man in his late forties stopped atop a branch of a tree and slightly raised his hand, stopping those who were behind him. A very big and extravagant mansion stood many meters away from the group. He then signalled one of his men to step forward and a young guy jumped to where the man was and kneeled in respect. 

“I will now scout ahead, Hideko-sama.” The young man said. 

The man named Hideko nodded and replied, “Please do, Yahiro.”

Yahiro made a series of hand seals and said. “Surudoi me!” 

His dark brown eyes turned to lavender with hints of light blue and an eight-sided shuriken-like design appeared on his pupils. Instantly, his vision widened and he could see chakra around. And then, he focused his gaze at the top most part of the majestic mansion. He then saw two very strong chakra shimmered against the weaker ones.

“The place is heavily guarded. It will be hard to go in by force, but not impossible. The Yondaime Ishikage-sama was at the topmost floor including Sharisu-sama.” He reported. “Lord Seiji and Lady Natsumi are nowhere to be found just like we planned.”

“Gokuro.” Hideko said and the young shinobi undid his kekkei genkai before going back to the barricade of men. 

The leader turned to them and spoke, “Today is the day we’re waiting for. Soragakure will not be the weakest among the hidden villages! We will not let others insult our home for being diplomats and peacekeepers. We will not let peace dull our blades! We will prove that we are the strongest -- stronger than Konohagakure! We will be the epitome of military power -- the center of the whole world!” He cheered and raised his fist up in the air. “For the future of Soragakure!”

“For the future of Soragakure!” his men echoed and when Hideko gave them the go signal, hundreds of men ambushed the mansion. 

Shouts of war cries and screams of fighting were heard on that supposed to be silent night. The clear white rays of the moon and stars, and the ground were stained with blood and littered with dead bodies. 

Everything was in chaos. 

It was a truly horrifying and unforgettable sight. The village shook in fear. It was the first time such thing happened. Everyone was forced to engage into war. Defenceless and innocent people were affected… Women and children also became victims… 

No one was exempted.

—----

“Sharisu-sama! Sharisu-sama!” A servant woman called as she opened the door to a room. She was about to call for her master once again when she saw the said little girl away from her bed and was tying a thin ribbon on her right ankle. The ribbon was only an inch in width and eight inches long with the color of royal purple. There were gold linings on both ends. “Ishikage Successor” was written on it. What surprised the slave more was that the five year old already wore a ninja uniform and as she turned to her, she looked very fierce and adult-like. It must be the effect of her trainings. She was exposed too early into the adult world, depriving her of playful childhood. 

“Sharisu-sama, the Sky Mansion is under attack. We must escape. You are the future of our village. You must not be harmed.” The servant woman pleaded. 

“Liya-neesan,” Sharisu’s small and high-pitched voice said calmly. “I won’t do that. I had already foreseen this would happen. For the past year since I had won and officially became the successor, someone constantly monitored my movements and there were specific people who acted quite suspiciously. And with my parents, the second best shinobi after Ishikage-sama, out on a mission, I’m not surprised they took this as an opportunity to attack.”

Liya was surprised and amazed at what her master said. The successor was truly amazing. With her next in line, Sora was in safe hands. 

“Wakarimashita.” Liya bowed deeply in respect and asked, “Is there anything I can do to be of help to you, milady?” 

Sharisu then ordered in her child voice. “Please use Eru to send a message to okasan and otosan. Tell them they need to go back immediately and help protect Sora.” 

“Hai, milady.” Liya bowed deeply in respect and asked, “What about you?”

The young kid, bathed in the moonlight, looked very determined and fierce as she stood straight with her chin up. She then declared, “I’m going to protect this mansion, the people, Ishikage-sama and Soragakure. Even if it’ll cost me my life.” Her gaze hardened and before Liya knew it, the girl was nowhere in sight. 

She was really admirable, that kid. Despite being in a child’s body, her mind, skills and attitude was that of an adult. Liya just wished that even once, Sharisu-sama would know how it felt like to be a normal and ordinary kid. 

The servant then hurriedly wrote a letter and strapped it on the right leg of the light brown eagle, Eru. The bird then flew away and was immediately out of sight. 

After that, she then left the Sky Mansion and proceeded to help in evacuating civilians. She took one last look at the majestic mansion that was slowly losing its beauty and grandeur, before wishing Ishikage-sama and her master to be alright. 

She then turned and left.

—----

“Will Release: Image Deception Technique,” Sharisu casted as a dozen of big soldiers towering above her appeared. And before they could charge at her, they suddenly appeared confused for a second and then began attacking each other. The little girl smiled deviously for she just manipulated the occipital lobe of their brain to see her as a comrade and everyone around them their enemies. 

She gracefully dodged their attacks and ran on the hallways, searching for Goyo, the Fourth Ishikage. 

Whenever she encountered enemies, she would use basic but powerful Will techniques and genjutsu in order to preserve her chakra and energy. She had a feeling she would be facing a very powerful enemy, probably the leader of this rebellion. Was she scared to death? Of course she was. No matter how skilled she was, how genius she was and how adult-like she acted, nothing could change the fact that she was still a kid. And this was her first ever fight besides the ones she participated in the Ishikage Successor Exams. She just tried her best not to cry and hide behind the back of her parents just like an ordinary child would do. Because she wasn’t normal. She had responsibilities as the successor. She had the skills and brains to do something. And that was what she was going to do. 

—----

Goyo Yamanaka, the Fourth Ishikage, was in his ninja uniform as he fought Hideko. The forty-seven year old man was highly intuitive that was why he knew this would happen. Thanks to that, he was able to prepare. But even so, he failed to predict that the mastermind of the ambush would be very powerful. And now he was having a difficult time. He clearly underestimated the enemy and it might cause his downfall. 

“Are you seriously the Ishikage-sama, old man?” Hideko taunted. “You’re weak.” 

Goyo still stayed calm. His opponent kept on taunting him, probably hoping he would lose his cool. But he wasn’t like that. A ninja must stay calm at all times. 

“Why are you doing this, Hideko? What is your aim?” He asked. 

“My aim?” His opponent smirked and laughed evilly. “My aim is power. Under your rule and your worthless predecessors this village remained very weak. You value peace too much. Old man, this is the era of countless wars! Our village is the laughing stock of the shinobi world! Peace doesn’t make us stronger but weaker! Do you think everything can be solved by means of talking?! Don’t make me laugh! Nothing good will come out of being diplomats!” 

He then clenched his fist as he continued speaking. “For generations, my clan stayed silent and followed these mad values and beliefs. But now, I won’t let our village be regarded as the weakest. Under my rule, Soragakure will become one of the strongest! Whenever people hear the name of this place, they wouldn’t think of old peacekeepers drinking tea with a beautiful scenery in the background. They would think of a very horrifying place and cower in fear! And this can only happen by doing the first step -- killing you and your darn successor!” 

With that declaration, Hideko charged forward to the Ishikage. “Lightning Release: Electric Katana!” A long Japanese sword appeared on his right hand and it sparked with electricity. 

“Die!” He exclaimed as he leaped into the air, weapon on his hand, ready to stab the man below him. 

Goyo quickly executed a lot of hand seals and hit the ground with his palm. “Earth Release: Earth Dome Technique!” 

Immediately the ground covered him, taking the shape of a dome and he was protected inside, completely blocking the attack. 

“Tch.” Hideko just said as he retreated. 

As soon as he did, the dome opened up revealing the Ishikage without any scratches. The both of them then went into a stance and after a few seconds, ran towards each other. They met up in the middle and exchanged a lot of attacks. It was so fast and powerful it was very dangerous to watch. There were constant strong winds blowing, waters crashing through, lightning sparking dangerously, fire burning with intensity and earth trembling with so much power everything was shaking. The top floor of the mansion was barely even standing!

—----

Sharisu was currently in the middle of executing genjutsu when she felt powerful chakra coming from the room of the Ishikage. This made her even more worried and so she quickly ended the technique and activated the traps she set around. Immediately, the battalion of enemies chasing after her all fell on the floor with drool dripping on the sides of their mouths. They were now trapped in her illusions. She took a deep breath as she wiped a sweat on her forehead with the back of her right hand and proceeded to run. 

“Ishikage-sama, please be alright.” She prayed. 

Turning around a corner, the big doors leading to the room of Goyo were soon towering above her. She stopped for a second and judging by the sounds coming from the inside, a fight was currently going on. 

For a second, she hesitated to go in. If the Ishikage-sama wasn’t able to defeat the enemy up till now, there was a high possibility that a mere five year old wouldn’t be able to do anything. She might just get in the way. What could she do? Trap the opponent in one of her illusions? But she didn’t have any time to set a trap. And she might face a high-ranking ninja. Even if she was the successor and was going through intensive training, she didn’t have any experience. Even if she could learn a technique every week, it wasn’t enough. 

She needed time. 

If only she was older. Then maybe, she would be able to save everyone. 

But this wasn’t the time to think of these things. She needed to focus. The enemy decided to attack now. Now that she was still a child. And she didn’t have any choice but to bear with her disadvantage of having a small body. No matter what, she must protect her home! 

Gathering her courage, she focused gathering some of her chakra on her palms and hit the doors, banging them open. The two strong men fighting inside immediately stopped as they looked at the newcomer. 

The Ishikage’s face hardened with worry while the enemy, whom she recognized as the face of Hideko, the head of the Nobunaga Clan; showed triumph and happiness. The bloodthirstiness of Hideko was so intense and scary the little girl gulped especially when his evil dark eyes turned to gaze down at her. 

“Well, well,” the enemy said while grinning widely. “Thank you for joining us Sharisu-sama. You saved me lots of time in searching for you.” 

“Leave while there’s still time Sharisu!” Goyo exclaimed quite frantically. “He’s not someone you can go against with!” 

She knew she needed to go. She knew she needed to leave. She knew she needed to escape. But she couldn’t move. Her body was rooted to the ground. Her hands were shaking. Her dark brown eyes stared in horror at the scene in front of her. Her heart beat was fast. She gulped and was terrified when she realized what was happening to her. 

Sharisu Hirawa, for the first time in her life, was scared to death. 

A bellowing evil laugh was heard. 

“You truly are still a child, Sharisu-sama.” Hideko said. “No matter how genius you are and how adult-like you act, you’re still a little kid who is nothing compared to me! Such weakness shall not be tolerated nor shall exist in the new Soragakure I’ll build!”

He then performed a series of hand seals before saying, “Earth Release: Earth Claw!” 

A huge claw made out of earth appeared from the tiled floor and grabbed the girl’s small body before throwing it on the farthest wall, breaking it in the process. The Ishikage watched in alarm as his successor fell from the top of the mansion and into the ground below. 

With that child body of hers, she wouldn’t be able to survive the impact of the fall. 

Goyo immediately casted and the ground where Sharisu would land turned to mud and caught her half way, saving her life, before putting the barely conscious kid carefully on the ground. And then, it turned back to normal. 

The enemy wasn’t very pleased and was decided on killing the girl. But he needed to take care of the stronger shinobi first. 

He then casted, “Lightning Release: Four-sided Electrical Barrier.” 

Before the Ishikage could counterattack, immediately, a squared barrier trapped him inside with current constantly sparking. Goyo tried to cast a wind technique but it wasn’t working. 

“Resistance is futile, old man. Only an outside force can set you free,” Hideko explained and looked down at Sharisu. “Your successor is just like you. She can’t even move because of fear. Pathetic.”

“She’s only just a child! Let her be.” Goyo pleaded. He couldn’t afford to allow the future of this village die. He needed to protect her. 

The head of the Nobunaga Clan ignored the trapped man’s pleas and only focused on his prey. He jumped from the hole his technique made earlier and into the place where the successor was, much to the horror of Goyo. 

“Sate, how shall I kill you?” Hideko asked as he pondered which technique was the best to use. “Since you hold a very special title and power, might as well grant you the honor of dying with the bloodline limit of my clan.”

He then slightly moved away from the body, performed a series of hand seals before saying, “Metal Release: Torturing Prison Cell!” 

A prison cell appeared and trapped Sharisu inside. And then, he watched in glee as the girl woke up and panicked when she saw the situation she was in. After a few seconds, the child fell on the floor, breathing heavily. 

This was caused by his technique. The metals he used had a special ability of absorbing chakra at a very fast rate. It could weaken anyone in one minute and will cause death in five minutes. But he wasn’t patient enough to wait. He wanted to kill this weakling now! 

“I’ll now end your suffering, Sharisu-sama. Say hi to the devil for me, will ya?” He then smirked and casted, “Water Release: Water Barrier! Lightning Release: Lightning Strike!” 

A barrier of water surrounded the girl inside the prison. And then, few seconds later, thunderclouds appeared on that clear sky and a lightning bolt struck down. A blinding white light appeared and so he closed his eyes and expected to see the burnt body of the successor once he opened them. 

But when he did, a few seconds later when the light and smoke cleared up, it wasn’t a small body he saw. It was that of an old man’s. And he realized that the person he had killed wasn’t Sharisu but the Ishikage. 

He brought his fist down in rage. He started cursing and then stopped. Well it was fine. He was going to kill him anyway. And he guessed he should be happy because the weaker shinobi was left and he could easily take her life. He licked his lips in ecstasy, excited to kill the five year old girl. But before that…

Without any care, he forcefully unclasped a silver bracelet on the burnt body’s wrist and proceeded to put it onto his own, laughing evilly as he did so. 

—----

Black. That was all Sharisu could see. She felt so weak and exhausted she didn’t even want to open her eyes. She just wanted to stay like this forever. Trapped in a dimension where there was peace. Maybe she should accept the fact that she was going to die. That sounded a really good option right now. 

She was about to succumb to darkness when she heard a voice. It sounded like it came from an old man. And it was familiar. 

Of course it was. It was the voice of Ishikage-sama. 

As if on cue, an old man appeared in front of her. His blue eyes reflected the smile on his kind face as he looked at her. 

“Ishikage-sama…” she trailed off. Was this just a dream? Why was she seeing him? 

“Sharisu Hirawa,” he said softly. “You shall take the title of Ishikage and take good care of our home. You shall uphold the values and principles your predecessors had, and treasure peace above all else. And if this tranquillity is threatened, you shall fight with everything you have. Just like what is happening currently.” 

The girl just stayed silent as she looked up at the Ishikage. 

He then continued, “I will now pass on to you the remaining time I have and the predecessor’s Will. Protect our humble village. Bring peace back in our home. Please save Soragakure, Sharisu.” 

And with one last smile, his figure disappeared, leaving nothing behind. 

After that, Sharisu regained consciousness. Thinking that was just a dream, she found herself back at the top floor of the Sky Mansion. Huh? What was she doing here? She was just on the ground minutes ago… Wait a minute, she thought. Where was Ishikage-sama? 

She stood up and wobbled slightly for her movements were too sudden. She then looked around searching for her predecessor. A few seconds passed by and she suddenly had this urge to look down at the place where she was supposed to be. 

Looking down below, she saw Hideko standing over something. It was colored black and burnt smell reached her nose. There was something familiar on that object. She couldn’t see it clearly up there and wished she could further examine that thing but the risk of the enemy finding her was too high. She hated to admit to herself but she wouldn’t be able to do anything to protect herself just in case a fight ensues. 

Before she could turn away and hide, something glimmered. And as she glanced back andfocused, her dark brown eyes widened and tears were threatening to spill. No… It couldn’t be. Her emotions were in a complete mess right now but there was one that prevailed -- devastation. 

A silver bracelet glimmered under the moonlight as Hideko put it in his wrist. It could be noted that the jewellery had traces of being old but still looked new at the same time. Engraved on it was the symbol of Soragakure -- an F clef-like symbol, and the title “Ishikage”. 

Realization finally hit her. Everything made sense. So that explained why she had that dream. Why she found herself in the Sky Mansion and not on the ground. Why she couldn’t find Ishikage-sama and instead found a burnt body. Why the enemy was wearing the symbol of Ishikage. And why she was still breathing and alive right now. 

Tears fell down on her face and for a moment, she didn’t care about the ninja rule of not showing any emotion. Her heart was broken. She wanted to grieve but there was no time for that. The only thing she could do was to cry silently, turn away and hide. And that was what she did with thoughts of the Fourth Ishikage, whom she had treated like her own grandfather, running in her mind. 

But before she could basically do anything, she suddenly hit the farthest wall, the impact hurting her a lot that blood involuntarily came out. Her frail little body then slid to the ground, her strength and life slowly seeping out of her. 

“You can’t escape me, little girl.” Hideko spoke as he appeared from the hole she had made earlier when she was thrown to the ground. “No one can save you now. Goyo is now gone. And with your death, I shall be the Fifth Ishikage!” 

“I-I w-won’t let y-you!” She stuttered, her voice barely audible as she tried to look fierce and strong. But it failed. Instead, she looked like someone very terrified who was trying her best to not look like one. In short, she looked pathetic. And she couldn’t accept the fact that it was true. 

The enemy laughed evilly and mocked, “Did you say something?” 

She gritted her teeth -- both in anger and fear. God, was she this hopeless? Was she this coward? Was she this _pathetic_? Was she such a _wimp_?! 

No. She was _not_ hopeless, coward, pathetic and a wimp. She was strong, brave, confident, fearless and determined. She was the successor and she wouldn’t be one if she wasn’t capable of it. That was right. She won against other children who wished to be the next Ishikage. And for one year, she lived up to her name and proved to everyone that she deserved it. And she loved this place with all her heart. 

She remembered all of her happy moments in this place. Though she always stayed at home and rarely socialize, she still treasured it. Even though she was always in constant pressure and had to adapt an adult mind set in order to help everyone, she still loved every single of it. 

And she wouldn’t let it fall into the hands of a tyrant even if it would lead to her death. 

Finding a newfound determination, she stood up and wiped the blood from her mouth with the back of her small hand as she glared at the enemy in front of her. Yes, that was right. She would never let this man ruin everyone’s home! 

“I said,” she declared. “I won’t let you become the Fifth Ishikage! I will protect Soragakure even if it costs me my life!” 

The man got taken aback. Probably shocked to see the cowering little girl earlier turn to a reliable and determined one. And before he could blink, Sharisu jumped and twirled, raining senbons on the man. 

The enemy gracefully dodged them and she tried her best to hit just one vital spot. But it didn’t work. Seeing that nothing was happening and she was just wasting energy, she somersaulted out of the way and once reached a corner, she slammed her small fist on the wall. 

Upon contact, the enemy fell down on his knees and she smiled. Looked like her genjutsu worked. She just trapped him into a dark place where weapons would attack him in all directions, not stopping until his whole body was flayed. 

She turned her back and was about to leave and escape when she heard a laugh. She looked back at the man and saw in horror that he was perfectly fine, smiling triumphantly at her as he stood tall and mighty. 

“H-How…” she trailed off, unable to speak. She was the most promising genjutsu user in their village! She could even trap jounins in her illusions! And yet this man… This man just escaped it! 

“How did I escape?” he then smirked. “Simple. I was never trapped in your petty illusions. There’s such a thing called ‘pretending’ and that’s what I did.” 

Her dark brown eyes widened even more. Her technique didn’t work. 

He then continued, “You disappoint me so much, Sharisu-sama. You call that ‘genjutsu’? Ha! Don’t make me laugh! This is what you call ‘genjutsu’!” 

When Sharisu blinked, she suddenly found herself trapped in a lair of snakes. They all circled around her body, tightening with each second, squeezing her. She struggled to move but couldn’t. Her heart was beating fast. No, none of this was real. This was just an illusion. 

She closed her eyes and thought with all of her will, “Release!” But nothing happened. When she opened them again, she was still in the same situation. Except this time, a big python with the face of Hideko now towered above her, hissing. 

Involuntarily shuddering in fear, Sharisu heard the hideous monster then talk. “And now, Sharisu-sama, I shall kill you in this form!” 

It opened its mouth wide with its long and narrow tongue swinging from side to side as it jumped and if she wouldn’t do anything, she would be swallowed whole! 

But she couldn’t do anything. The enemy was too strong. She was powerless against him.

And so she just closed her eyes and thought, “Mom, Dad, I love you.” 

A loud sound was heard as a python ate its prey.


	2. Escape

Chapter 1 

Escape

Natsumi Hirawa and her husband, Seiji Yamamoto were on their way to the Sky Mansion. As soon as they received Liya’s message about the ambush, they immediately went back. She was very thankful they had finished the mission that early evening because if not, they wouldn’t be able to go and help. 

But that wasn’t important right now. She should focus on saving everyone. 

Who would do such a thing? The village was everything anyone could ever dream of! It was peaceful and beautiful. Who would dare take it away? 

Suddenly, a thought struck her. She remembered the suspicious movements of the Nobunaga clan. If her memory was right, they were accused of planning to overthrow the Fourth Ishikage and killing the successor. This was never proven true for the next day, the accuser went missing with his dead body found at the foot of Mount Olympus few days later. Ever since that incident, she couldn’t help but think something was going on. Something terrible. But the head of that clan, Hideko Nobunaga, was a respectable and good man. He would not do such thing… would he? 

While she was pondering, she suddenly felt like her body was electrified, making her stop. This was bad. This only happens to her when someone important to her would die. And the only person she could think of was her daughter… 

Oh no! They must hurry up! She wouldn’t let their child die! 

A man in his early thirties put a warm hand on her as he gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, my love. We’ll be there in a few minutes and save our daughter.” 

She just nodded, giving him a grateful smile before saying, “Thank you, Seiji.” And then they proceeded on their way.

_Hang in there, my child. We’re on our way._

When they reached the topmost part of the mansion, their eyes widened. A small lump of body wasn’t moving and her chest was barely rising. She was dying. No, this couldn’t be happening!

Seeing her child like that, Natsumi lost all of her composure and screamed. “Hideko, how dare you!” 

The man wasn’t a little bit surprised at the sight of the couple. “I see you’ve arrived, Natsumi, Seiji. Though I must say a little late since your beloved daughter is dying because of my illusions.” 

“Water Release: Boiling Geyser!” Natsumi exclaimed and suddenly, geysers erupted from the ground and Hideko jumped out of the way, ruining his concentration. And thus, Sharisu was saved. For now. 

She then shared a look with her husband and both parted ways. The woman went directly to her injured daughter while her partner proceeded to keep the enemy busy. 

Cradling her daughter in her arms, Natsumi realized that Sharisu was safe. A large baggage on her back was suddenly lifted with this conclusion. But this was not the time to celebrate nor to feel relieved. 

“Will Release: Image Deception Technique,” she then casted and instantly Hideko stopped moving. He was now trapped in her illusions. But only for a moment. He was very strong, after all. 

Wasting no time at all, Seiji carried their child and ran outside the mansion. They didn’t stop until they reached the gardens. Beautiful and bountiful flowers that once bloomed in that serene place were now nothing but dried up, destroyed, and tainted with blood. 

Even though the couple didn’t speak, just one look and they exactly knew what the other was saying and what they needed to do. 

Sharisu’s father brought the girl down on the grass and summoned a giant brown eagle. On the other hand, Natsumi was on the watch, making sure no one followed them. 

“Kojirou,” Seiji said to the creature. “I thank you for the services you rendered to me. And it hurts me to say that this will be the last time we would meet. Please take good care of Natsumi and Sharisu. Protect them at all cost.” 

The giant bird just nodded but the man knew even with that simple gesture, it meant a lot of words that his summon couldn’t express. Just the thought of it made him smile. 

The man turned to his wife and the latter was quite shaking, knowing exactly what her husband was going to do. She wanted to stop him. But there was nothing she could do. This was the best way. If he wouldn’t do this, there would be no future for Soragakure. Even though she badly wanted to join him, she couldn’t. Who would take care of their daughter? Who would teach her everything she needed to know? No one else but her. 

In such a crucial moment, the two lovers still found time to hug each other and share a passionate kiss one last time before Natsumi finally rode Kojirou. Soon Seiji proceeded to carry Sharisu when the little girl woke up. 

At first she was in a daze when suddenly, her eyes widened. 

“D-Daddy?! W-What are you doing here? What’s going on?” She asked frantically. “Where’s Hideko?”

“It’s okay, Honey.” Seiji gave her a loving smile. “Everything’s going to be alright.” 

The girl took deep breaths and was finally calm. 

“Listen to me very carefully, Sharisu.” Her dad knelt down to match her height. “Promise me you’ll train very hard and always do your best. You’ll always listen to your mom and don’t cause too much trouble. And most of all, when you’re strong enough, promise me you’ll reclaim what’s yours.” 

The little child just looked at him in confusion like she was having a hard time comprehending what he was saying. But even so, she declared with resolve, “I promise Daddy.” 

Seiji smiled at his daughter’s reply. He then ruffled her hair earning a grunt of annoyance which made him laugh and then hugged her tightly. “Now, go with your mother.”

Sharisu nodded and was about to let her daddy carry her to the top of Kojirou when suddenly she noticed he didn’t even make any movement that indicates he would be going with them. This made her nervous. What was the meaning of this? 

“Daddy?” She asked. “Aren’t you going to join me and Mommy?”

“Honey,” Her father said. “Daddy needs to stay behind to protect Soragakure.” 

“Does that mean I won’t be able to see you again?” Sharisu pouted and her eyes were now teary-eyed. 

Seiji just gave her a sad smile. “No, of course not. You’ll see me again.” 

“Promise?” 

“I promise.” The man said and kissed his child’s forehead. Very faint signs appeared on Sharisu’s forehead but it disappeared the moment it came. He then hugged her before he gave her to Natsumi. 

Sharisu knew something was wrong. She could feel it in her heart, the uncertainty and uneasiness. But she believed in her father. He promised, didn’t he? He promised they would see each other again. And Daddy never broke any of his promises -- he was an honorable man. Surely, he wouldn’t dare break it. 

After convincing herself, she comfortably sat on Kojirou's back as she rested in her mother’s loving arms, completely unaware of Natsumi’s pained expression and Seiji’s sad smile as he watched his family go. 

Instinctively, she turned her head and saw her beloved home growing smaller by the second. Why was this happening to them? Why? As far as the young girl was concerned, she did her job very well -- she didn’t do anything that deserved punishment. She didn’t do anything that could justify why her home was now crumbling into ruins. 

“Mommy,” She asked, hoping the older woman knew the answer to her question. “Why did this happen? Why are we leaving?” 

Natsumi just gave her troubled child a small and sad smile. She then answered vaguely, “My child, one day when you’re old enough, you’ll learn the reason.” 

Sharisu should’ve known her mother wouldn’t tell her anything. She just let it go and continued gazing at the dark, midnight sky. 

For a moment, there was peace. But it disappeared as soon as it came. Sharisu suddenly felt like she was drenched in ice cold water, harshly bringing her back to reality. Daddy… She felt like he was in danger. 

Apparently Natsumi felt it too but chose to ignore it. For she knew if she would succumb to her emotions, she would make rash decisions, which included turning back and endangering her daughter’s life. 

“Mommy!” Sharisu exclaimed in alarm. “I think Daddy… Daddy’s in danger!” 

Her mom just kept silent. 

“We need to turn back to save him!” She continued. 

Again, she was met with silence as her mom just gazed straight ahead, indicating she had no intention of going back. 

“M-Mommy…” The young girl’s voice shook with worry. “Please. Let’s go back.”

Natsumi ignored her daughter’s pleas and continued reciting a mantra in her mind to calm herself down. This was a critical situation. Whatever may happen as they escape could change the future of their village. And she should make sure everything would be successful. 

Noticing that her mother wasn’t paying any attention to her, Sharisu shook the older woman’s arm, pleading at the same time. “Mommy! Please!” 

But it didn’t work. 

She was about to try to convince her mom for another time when suddenly the little girl felt a drop of water landed on her cheek. That made her stop for when she focused on the face of her mother, she saw tears falling. Her mother was suffering and that alarmed the poor child. 

She needed to know what happened to her father. She needed to know why her mother was crying. She needed to know what was happening back in Soragakure. She needed to know a lot of things but learning of her father’s current condition was the topmost priority. But how could she do it if she couldn’t see anything? 

In her desperation to know what happened to her father, her vision suddenly became sharper and everything suddenly became clearer. She was very surprised for she was now able to see Soragakure despite the huge distance between them. Wow, what was going on? This was awesome! 

Wait, if she could remember correctly, there was a special ability that only the members of her clan possess. A bloodline limit called Surudoi me. And usually only adults have them since the children rarely passed the first condition to activate it. Sharisu didn’t know what the condition was but she was very glad she was able to awaken her kekkei genkai. Well, what do you call this sudden surge of power inside her if it wasn’t? 

But her celebration was short-lived. There was a darker reason why she was able to activate Surudoi me. 

Sharisu was enjoying her newfound power when suddenly she noticed the sad aura surrounding her mom and the grim expression of Kojirou. She then saw her mom clenched her fist too tight and was slightly shaking -- things she never noticed before. 

She then turned her back and gaze at her home and saw an aura of bloodshed and grief surrounding it. She could see different things all at once. A pawn of Hideko just killed a whole family of innocent people. In another corner, a child was running from his pursuers and for a moment, Sharisu wished he would be able to escape. But he didn’t. He was caught and before the blade could slice his little neck, the observer already turned away. 

This was too harsh. Too cruel. Why? Why must Hideko kill all those innocent beings? Why was this happening to them? For a long time, Sora was in peace, they never participated in any wars. The founders of the village intended for it to stay like that for many generations. But now, peace was nothing but a mere memory. She hated to admit it but the first ever Civil War in Soragakure was held. And it was during her lifetime. This must be one of the reasons why she escaped. But the other reasons why, she was sure would be answered as time passed by. 

Her heart was filled with anger and grief. But she needed to do what she was supposed to do -- find her father. She wished he was alright. 

She started searching for him and when she found him, horror was evident on her face. She saw a tall figure at the edge of the floating fortress of Soragakure. Another tall one was towering above him, cornering him as if intending to kill him by pushing him. The man who wasn’t in danger was Hideko while the one who was at the edge was none other than her father. 

It was a life and death battle. They tried desperately to throw their opponent out of the sky. 

She was panicking mentally as she watched. Her father was in danger! She needed to do something. But what could she do? She was going farther away. Should she convinced her mother once again? 

She glanced at her mom and saw that if she spoke about dad, Natsumi would lose all of her composure and things would end tragically. 

No, that was clearly out of her options. 

As she continued to think, she realized her time was up and it was decided by default that she would just stay there, frozen. When she focused her vision at the battle, Hideko was able to throw her father off and she screamed as Seiji fell thousands of feet below. 

“DADDY!” 

She continuously cried her father’s name even if she knew the only ones who would be able to hear her were her mom and Kojirou. But she still did anyway. She followed the body of her dad as he fell intending to know what would happen to him once he reached the ground below. But before she could see what happened next, her mother suddenly hugged her, blocking her view. 

“Mommy… Daddy is…” Sharisu trailed off as tears fell down her face. No one could survive that fall. He would surely die. 

“Shhh… It’s alright, my baby girl.” Natsumi whispered. “It’s alright.”

The both of them just continued crying in silence, lamenting for the sudden death of their loved one. Sharisu thought her daddy was a liar. He broke his promise. She’ll never see him again. If only she knew, she would’ve told him “I love you” one last time and hug him. But it was too late now. He was gone. 

While these thoughts ran in her mind, Sharisu fell asleep due to exhaustion. 

It was surprisingly a peaceful sleep, something the child never expected she would have especially with the events that occurred beforehand. 

Two hours later, she woke up because of the blinding light of the sunrise. It was already morning and it looked like they survived. For now. 

As she looked around, she couldn’t see the tiniest and farthest detail anymore. Her eyesight must’ve returned back to normal. 

“Good morning, Honey.” Natsumi greeted her child with a sad smile. She was just trying her best to stay strong for Sharisu. 

“Good morning, Mommy,” The girl replied monotonously. 

And after that, silence engulfed them. 

Sharisu looked down below, watching as the sun casted its morning rays on the ground. It was a breathtaking and beautiful scenery. And usually seeing one would cheer her up. But now, for the first time, it failed to make a smile form on the devastated child’s mouth. 

After some time, Kojirou finally landed in the middle of a forest. Natsumi helped her daughter down and said a few words of thanks to the giant eagle before it disappeared with a puff of smoke. 

“Mommy,” Sharisu asked as she gaze up to her mom. “Where are we going?” 

“Mommy’s not too sure, Honey.” Natsumi said as she bent down to match the height of her daughter. “But I have a lead to where we should go. The problem is how we’re going to reach that place.” 

Sharisu just looked at her mom in confusion. 

Her mom just smiled. “Goyo-sama’s family came from a clan in a hidden village and he was friends with their Kage. I’m sure we could seek refuge there.” 

The little child just nodded and from then on, they continued their travel by foot. Her mother could fly because of a certain technique but it was too risky. Natsumi barely had any chakra left and enemies could easily spot them. They were constantly on the move, set for the hidden village her mom was talking about.

Since their escape was too sudden, they didn’t have any time or chance to even pack for food or clothes. Her mom tried her best to find edible foods around the forest and there weren’t many options. It mostly consisted of herbs and mushrooms which immediately made Sharisu’s tongue grew tired of its taste. They rarely had rabbits or any other meat to eat. Also, they were always thirsty for they still haven’t passed through a creek or river yet where they could go and drink. 

At night, it was very cold. Despite being cradled in her mother’s arms, it wasn’t enough. There were also the constant howls of wolves and other unknown creatures that slightly creeped out the little girl. It didn’t help either that her mother stayed awake the whole time to watch their surroundings in case someone try to attack them in order to protect Sharisu. 

It broke the little child’s heart more when she would randomly wake up in the middle of the night and hear muffled sobs coming from her mom. She was lamenting for her husband’s untimely death. The girl would just feel even more devastated and wondered why did this happen to them. While pondering, her eyes would close and she was asleep once again. 

And then when morning came, she would be forced to wake up by the blinding sunlight. They would travel once again under the scorching heat of the sun, only stopping for occasional breaks which were very rare. Her little feet always throbbed with pain and her body was only moving because of willpower alone. To be honest, if she had a choice of stopping, she would. Her mom, noticing the condition of her daughter, offered to carry her but Sharisu refused. Natsumi was in a much more difficult situation than her. She didn’t want to burden her mom any further. 

They couldn’t even pass through the main road nor stay for a night in a village inn. It was too risky and they had no money. There could be spies anywhere that would report their whereabouts. And Sora-nins were known for being excellent in espionage. It clearly worsened their situation especially since Natsumi overheard a few hunter-nins from Kirigakure talking about two new entries in the bingo book, ranked A and B, which clearly were their names and pictures. 

At once, Natsumi escaped and decided to alter Sharisu’s appearance. She cut her daughter’s long hair with the weapon she only had due to the circumstances, which was kunai, changing Sharisu’s look a little bit. Her hair now reached up to her shoulders. 

The two had no food to eat, no water to drink, no bed to sleep and no money to buy their needs. And most of all, they were being tracked down by the men of Hideko and other ninjas from different hidden villages who wanted to earn money. 

It was very difficult. Too cruel. Too harsh. The young girl was starting to question their chances of survival for it looked very dim right now. They were already half-dead. 

This continued for three days. Due to the lack of physiological needs and rest, a few meters away from the hidden village her mom was talking about, Sharisu wobbled and finally fell on the hard ground. She couldn’t stand up. It looked like she already reached the limit of her body.

Natsumi quickly rushed to her daughter’s place and checked her condition. Her eyes slightly widened. Sharisu had fatigue. She needed rest and food immediately! But the hidden village wasn’t too near. They still needed to travel for another day. She was also running out of chakra for she couldn’t replenish it properly. She needed to heal her daughter. Everything would be meaningless if she died. But if she did, she would surely faint due to fatigue and during those times that she was out, who would protect her child? Who would save her in case she got into trouble? No one. But if she didn’t do anything, it would worsen and who knows what might happen to her child’s body. She was just a kid! This kind of lifestyle shouldn’t be even experienced on such a young age. 

Natsumi knew what she must do. She gathered the last bit of her chakra that still made her conscious to her hands and transferred it to her unconscious daughter. After a few seconds, she fainted beside her still child, wishing for Sharisu to be fine while she was out.

The young girl then woke up and realized she had a little bit of energy left. How was that possible? She then sat up and saw the unconscious body f her mom beside her. She quickly checked her pulse. She was alright. She was just sleeping. That made the child sighed in relief. Her mom must’ve shared the last bit of chakra to her, enabling her to have a little bit of energy left. She must find water then to give to her mom. 

Might as well try using that kekkei genkai once again. But how could she activate it? Did she need to form some hand seals? Or should she just close her eyes and imagine donning them and then they’ll be activated? 

She didn’t know the hand seals needed to be formed and so, she wished the latter option would work. 

The Ishikage Successor closed her eyes and imagined flipping a switch called “Bloodline Limit”. When she opened her eyes, everything became clearer. Yes! It worked! Now, she needed to search for a nearby water source. 

It only took her a few seconds to look for one. There! She found a river and its water was drinkable. The only problem was that it would take thirty minutes of walking to reach it. Yosh, she could do this! This was for the sake of her mom! 

She deactivated her bloodline limit to save chakra and started walking. She didn’t expect it to be so far and the road was so rocky and uneven she was having a hard time. Her willpower to give her mom water was the only thing that pushed her. 

When she finally saw the river, she already ran out of energy. She fell on the ground and was breathing hard. Her chakra was running very low. Her body was pleading her mind to let them rest, to replenish even a little bit. No, she needed to go back. Her mom… Something might’ve happened to her while she was gone. And she needed water. She shouldn’t give up now. She was very close to the river. Just a little more and she would be able to drink and bring some to her companion. Just a few more steps. 

But before she could even crawl, her eyes fell shut. She forced to reopen them and when she did, they were threatening to close once again. Oh well. She couldn’t do anything. She apologized to her mom for her weakness and wished she was alright. 

Unable to move, Sharisu just gaze at the clear blue sky above. Earlier, it was so dark she had a hard time seeing the moon and stars without witnessing blood splatter all around. She had a hard time listening to the very distant howls of dogs without hearing screams of agony and war cries. She had a hard time breathing the supposedly peaceful night breeze without smelling the burning fires as it ate her home. 

But they were all nothing but mere memories now -- memories that would serve as her motivation to become even stronger. 

As she continued staring, she suddenly remembered those happy moments she had. She was chosen as the best among her generation in Hirawa clan. She was able to win the Ishikage Successor Exams against other four-year-olds in her village. She brought pride and glory to her clan. Everyone, especially her family, was proud of her. Even though she was deprived of her childhood, constantly locked up in the Sky Mansion, and strictly trained by different teachers in various fields, she still loved every moment of it. Even if she was always under pressure to exceed everyone’s expectations and she needed to adapt an adult mindset, those were still happy memories.

She wanted to cry but no tears came out. Her body had no water to spare. She missed everyone and every single thing back in Soragakure, may it be good or bad. She wanted to go back to in time… Before the ambush. She wanted it back. But she knew, deep inside her heart, that nothing will ever be the same again. She was now a wanted B-rank missing nin, probably issued by Hideko as soon as he forcefully became the Fifth Ishikage, the title that was rightfully hers. 

What was going to happen now? Will they reach the hidden village where they could take refuge? Were they really safe there? Will they even survive? Would that hidden village take them in even if they knew they were in the bingo book? 

Will she be able to wake up again if she closed her eyes now? 

Oh well. She would know the answers to these questions later. Except for one. The last question would be answered right now. 

She was so freaking tired. She wanted to rest. She wanted to sleep. She wanted to eat.

Deciding that she would heed her body’s pleas, she was about to close her eyes and succumbed to darkness when she heard light footsteps coming her way. Based on the sounds, she could assume that the person was a he and had the same age as hers. She turned her head to the left and saw a small figure in the forest, growing bigger by the second as it came closer to her. She was right. It was a boy and he looked like he was also five years old. 

He had gravity defying silver hair and it looked so ridiculous she wondered how the heck he got it. A mask was covering the lower part of his face. Why was it covered? Did he have something embarrassing he wanted to hide? 

Sharisu then wondered what he was doing here and how he found her. 

Suddenly, the boy approached her. Dark colored eyes with boredom evident in them peered down at her. She didn’t like the look he was giving her, like she was the least interesting person in the world. She was about to tell him how insulting his gaze was when she fell unconscious. 


End file.
